Budget talks are underway as lawmakers and Gov. Ned Lamont attempt to reach a deal before the General Assembly adjourns June 9, but the sides remain in disagreement about taxes. Democratic lawmakers favor raising taxes on the wealthy to fund tax credits for the poor and middle-class and other initiatives. Lamont has resisted tax hikes, saying the state is in good financial standing and tax increases send the wrong message.
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“Connecticut is one of the most racially segregated states in the nation,” is how the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities begins its 51-page report. “Segregation born of zoning policies has had a particularly deadly effect during the COVID-19 pandemic. … The effects of segregation cannot only be measured in municipal demographics or statistics of income inequality, but in lives lost.”
The impact of segregation was especially troublesome during the pandemic, the authors write, because the same minorities who live in segregated areas and work in jobs, such as grocery stores and nursing homes, they couldn’t perform from home were disproportionately impacted by COVID itself. Black residents in Connecticut have a death rate from COVID-19 that is more than twice that of white residents, while the death rate for Hispanics is nearly 2 times that of whites, according to state data.
A bill that would revise local zoning laws in Connecticut to encourage the development of more affordable housing notched a legislative victory Thursday. But the measure, which was the subject of a four-hour debate in the House of Representatives, is far less sweeping than the proposals initially promoted by activists. The bill, which now moves to the state Senate for consideration, was .
A bill overhauling local zoning rules has cleared the Connecticut House courant.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from courant.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.